Mobile phones have changed dramatically in the last decade. With the first 2G phones the only real purpose of the phones were to make normal phone calls. Now with 2.5G (GPRS), CDMA2000 and UMTS technology, coupled with large color displays and integrated peripherals such as cameras and MP3 players, the phones have evolved to true multimedia entertainment terminals. This brings a whole new set of problems to be solved, not the least in the mechanical manifestation.
A general problem of mobile phones is that they should be small when not in use to be convenient to carry around, while at the same time they should have large displays to allow delivery of rich content and a keyboard that is large enough to use. This problem has been attempted with several different solutions with varying degree of success in the past.
One known way to deal with this problem is a phone that of what is called a clamshell type, implying that it comprises two main parts—one keyboard part and one display part, joined together by a hinge, allowing the phone to open and close much like a book. A problem with this type of phone is the complexity involved in opening or closing the phone. This is awkward and either requires two hands or a one hand operation with a large risk of dropping the phone.
Moreover there is the swivel type of phone. This type of phone is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,517. This type of phone also has a keyboard part and a display part but is opened using a swivel motion. However, a drawback relating to this type of phone is that the display is always exposed, leading to an enhanced risk of obtaining scratches and dust in the display, for example when the user carries the phone in a pocket or handbag.
A more complex type of phone is disclosed in GB 2 387 063 A. Using a biaxial hinge the phone can be opened and closed in a multitude of ways. While this does provide a way to have a protected display in closed state, it does not provide an easy means for the user to open and close the phone.